News

Fulton Police to assist in safety enforcement against motorists unlawfully passing school buses

Fulton County Commissioners voted to enter into an Inter-Governmental Agreement with the Fulton County Public Schools to enforce violations of laws prohibiting vehicles passing school buses with fully extended stop arms. ¬† As a result of this action, Fulton County Police have agreed to implement a school bus safety camera enforcement program in unincorporated south Fulton County. ¬† The program will use recorded images gathered from ‚Äústop arm cameras‚ÄĚ installed on the buses. ¬† The effort is part of an ongoing effort to ensure the safety of Fulton County students as they ride to and from school.

"It's scary to hear how many people go around stopped school buses," said County Commission Chairman John Eaves. "Our children really are at risk. Anything we can do to keep them safe, I'm all for."

"We look forward to working with the Fulton County Schools on this important issue. This traffic violation is one of the most serious of all violations; it has the potential of injuring our children,‚ÄĚ said Gary Stiles, Fulton County Police Chief. ¬† ‚ÄúPreserving life is the cornerstone of our mission; ensuring the safety of children, the future of our communities, is paramount. Additionally, it is one of the most preventable traffic violations. I will begin an educational ad campaign in the near future. We call upon all citizens to assist us with this endeavor. Working together, we can realize great success."

As part of the agreement, Fulton County Police will administer traffic enforcement and violation assessment to motorists caught on tape violating the law by passing fully extended ‚Äúbus stop arms‚ÄĚ from Fulton County School transports. County Government will provide resources necessary to prosecute violators. Fulton County Government will ensure that a qualified officer or other qualified staff member reviews the recorded images no later than three days after the transmission of data indicating a traffic violation was captured on camera. County Government shall send monthly progress reports to the School District detailing the number of violations issued.